NETGEAR Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi System (Open Box)
$201.10
$699.99
71% off
Reference Price
Condition: New; Open Box
Size: 3-Pack, 7,500 sq ft
Top positive review
2 people found this helpful
WiFi Coverage problem Solved!
By George on Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2020
I have a 2300 square foot home on approximately 5 acres with DSL internet service from CenturyLink. I was using the CenturyLink 2082 wireless modem/router and the WiFi signal would not reach into one end of our home. I also needed internet coverage in a metal covered barn located about 150 feet from the house. After researching the different available MESH internet router systems, I choose the Netgear Orbi AC3000 RBK53S with a router and 2 satellites and the Orbi Outdoor Satellite RBS50Y. I had some reservations due to reading some of the reviews detailing installation difficulties and dropped connections between the router and satellites. When I installed the system, I used the Orbi Login online installation method and not the mobile app. I also kept the Orbi router and the 3 satellites close to my computer until everything was set up. I connected the satellite to the CenturyLink 2082 modem with the provided Ethernet cable and turned it on. After startup was complete, I connected my computer to it through WiFi and started the the Orbi LogIn program which detected the Orbi Router. I then powered on 1 of the AC3000 satellites and it synced to the router successfully. I then powered on the 2nd AC 3000 satellite and it did not sync successfully. After 2 more tries by powering it off and then on, it synced successfully. I then checked the firmware versions on the router and the 2 satellites and they were up to date for all units out of the box. I then powered on the Orbi Outdoor satellite. It took 4 tries of powering off and powering on before it booted and I then used the sync function in Orbi Login to sync it to the router. I then checked the firmware version and it needed to be updated. However, the Orbi Login program could not complete the automatic update. I had downloaded the newest firmware to my computer in anticipation of updating the firmware manually and the process was accomplished without incident. I then completed the setup for the Orbi system with the Orbi Login program. At that point, I connected all of our devices to the new Orbi WiFi network and turned off auto-join for the CenturyLink 2082. I then moved the CenturyLink 2082 and the Orbi router to a location as close to the center of our home as possible and powered them on. I then moved the 1st satellite to the far end of the house, powered it on, it synced with the router and displayed a blue light that indicated a strong connection. I then moved the 2nd satellite to the opposite end of the house, which is closest to the barn, powered it on, it synced with the router and displayed a blue light that indicated a strong connection. Lastly, I moved the Orbi Outdoor satellite to the barn knowing that if it was placed outside of the barn it would probably be unable to send a strong signal through the metal the barn is covered with. Instead, I placed it inside the barn next to a door that faces the house and that has a window in it. I powered it on, it synced and displayed a blue light which indicated a strong signal. When I checked the Wifi coverage, I now have a strong signal everywhere in the house and throughout the 48x48 foot barn. To my surprise, I also have a strong signal outside as far away as 250 feet from the house and barn. The WiFi speed has been impressive and much better than the CenturyLink 2082 router. The system was installed a week ago and it has been absolutely reliable with no issues. In short, I am extremely pleased with the Netgear Orbi AC3000 system!
Top critical review
24 people found this helpful
Great coverage, but very unstable and buggy firmware releases
By J. Beer on Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2018
I have a 3 story, long skinny house built into side of a hill. Had been using routers and access points, but always had to manually switch my devices to diff APs as I roamed. WiFi mesh seemed like a great solution, especially ones that support wired back haul. I bought the Orbi units based on reviews from multiple diff sites that they had the greatest coverage and highest throughput. They also said they do wired backhaul. I also liked the fact that you can set it up without an active Internet connection. Perfect for me, as my appointment with Comcast to get cable is not for another week. Orbis can be configured using either a Netgear mobile app, or direct connection via enet cable to the router unit. The first indication that this was an unstable product was that the mobile app would just hang, once connected to the routers wifi. Tried several times, but no luck. "No problem" I though, I will just direct connection. I did so, and the config process went fine. I soon found that there was nothing in the menus to support wired back haul. I need that, as the far upstairs end of my house is too far away, and has too many wall in the way, for the wireless 5ghz back haul to connect. "Ok, will look into that later, I'll just put the satellite units in temp locations, and get this tested out" So...I got everything connected and synced up. Great coverage everyplace it should be. Did some streaming video testing from my NAS drive, and other file copy tests, and great throughput. Finished up around 11pm and went to bed. Next morning, nothing is working. Resync everything, and it worked for about 2 hrs, then stopped. Ok, this is bad. Went to Netgear's support forum, and find that 1000s of customers are having the same problem. Netgear keeps releasing new firmware versions to try to fix, but each one is very buggy. In fact, they formaly rolled back several versions. I also found out that the back haul function I need is in one of those buggy versions. This has been going on since December 2017 it seems. Netgear management posts to the forum about once a month, to say they will have it fixed "soon" Yikes, nearly $500 for tech that does not work, and no fix in sight after 4 months. I am packing up my Obris and returning. Will look into other brands, but this time I will check the support forums first.
Sort by:
Filter by:
Sorry, no reviews match your current selections.
Try clearing or changing some filters.Show all reviews
Show more reviews